Fresh from winning an Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Award in the Residential: Up to €5m category earlier this year, OCC Construction claimed the Contractor Industrial Project of the Year at the 2024 Irish Construction Industry (ICI) Awards.
The Galway-based main contractor was nominated for its successful delivery of Block R in the Shannon Free Zone, Co. Clare. Block R is an advanced technology manufacturing unit which was constructed as part of the rejuvenation development masterplan for Shannon Airport Group. The site is located within the Shannon River basin and industrial area on the approach to Shannon Airport, just off the N19. It was part of a brownfield site with the building replacing the existing 1970s Northlight warehouses on site.
The development consists of a NZEB A-Rated and LEED Silver 40,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility with an 11.0m internal height, serviced by a 4,000 sq. ft. two-storey office block, circulation and meeting spaces. The project commenced in late 2022 and was completed in August 2023, 20% ahead of programme. Site works included a large feature courtyard and architecturally striking planting areas, landscaped green areas and wildflower meadows, bicycle storage, storage yards, rainwater harvesting tanks, PV arrays, electrical switch rooms and substation.
The project was carried out sustainably through the LEED and NZEB frameworks, ahead of programme through Lean Construction, safely with 57,468 accident-free hours through ISO 9001, 14001 & 45001 systems and to the highest quality standards through active and early engagement with the design team and subcontractors.
The project team consisted of John O’Connell (Contracts Manager), Robert Anderson (Managing QS), Dylan Curley (Site Engineer), Martin Cullen (Project Qs) and Garret Nestor of OCC Construction; Gerry Dillon (Property Director) Shannon Commercial Properties; Francis Ryan (Architect) and John O’Malley (Director) of O’Neill O’Malley Architects; Cliona Casey (Structural Engineer), Michael Fleming (Civil Engineer) and Shane Byrne (Civil Engineer) of Tobin Consulting Engineers; Matt Fox (Director) and John Moloney (Director) of Moloney Fox Consulting; Michael Carroll (Fire Engineer) of Jensen Hughes Fire Engineering; and Cathal Heneghan (Sustainability Lead) of Meehan Greene (LEED). Key suppliers included H McLarnon & Sons Cladding, Fabricat Ireland Steel, Curran Aluminium, Kingspan, Select Access, Crossflow and Brian Healy Electrical.
Launched in 2014, the Irish Construction Industry (ICI) Awards recognise, encourage and celebrate original and innovative contractors, businesses, teams, consultants and projects that demonstrate excellence in the built environment. OCC Construction is no stranger to awards ceremonies, having won at last April’s ICE Awards for An Cliathán – a 15-unit sheltered housing scheme in Galway City for Galway City Council – in the Residential: Up to €5m category, while Block R was also a finalist in the Industrial – Up to €20m category at this year’s ICE Awards.
“We were delighted to win another prestigious accolade and to be recognised alongside the very best in the industry,” says Contracts Manager John O’Connell.
“Block R was a landmark project for OCC, we utilised the project to roll out many company improvements strategies, including the introduction of our Lean Construction Management System, the integration of LEED (leadership in energy design) and sustainable construction to our quality systems, the digitisation of all site paperwork and increased design collaboration through the use of BIM which ultimately lead to its success, delivering the project ahead of schedule, achieving an increased level of sustainability and to the highest quality standards.”
From the outset, the client wanted an eye-catching building as the site is on a clear focal line with all throughfare continuing to Shannon Airport and Industrial Park. The site location occupies a prominent position within the Shannon Free Zone campus which the design lends itself to, to take full advantage of the views of the airport entrance to the front and local flora and fauna to the sides and rear. Gerry Dillon, Director of Property with Shannon Airport group, showed his appreciation of the project by saying:
“We had the pleasure of working with OCC Construction on the construction of our new R&D warehouse development located at the main entrance to The Shannon Airport Business Park, the largest Commercial Business Park outside of Dublin, and the experience has been exceptional from start to finish. Their commitment to sustainability was evident in every phase of the project from recycling to traceability of materials.
“The quality of the finished development is outstanding, with attention to detail and craftsmanship exceeding our expectations. OCC Construction managed the project with precision and professionalism, keeping the Team well-informed and ensuring everything stayed on track and within budget. Their ability to handle the complexities of the project while maintaining clear communication made the entire process seamless from our perspective.
“We couldn’t be more satisfied with the results and highly recommend OCC Construction to anyone seeking a top-tier contractor who prioritizes sustainability, quality, and excellent project management.”
Preparation of the site included demolishing a 1970s mass concrete structure which had been out of use for several years. The concrete was crushed and reused within the construction phase which allowed for embodied energy & carbon savings through the reuse of demolition materials. Ground conditions on site were poor as the building outline lies on a former section of the riverbed from the Shannon Estuary. Concrete precast piles were used in great depths to provide a suitable foundation for this 20kn/m-rated commercial building.
There were significant utility services present running through the site. OCC Construction carefully redirected live mainline telecom, water, foul and storm services that were supplying the 14,000 workers within the Shannon Free Zone estate. Works were undertaken at off-peak times in case shutdowns were required. However, these were avoided thanks to careful planning and implementation of the OCC site teams.
Block R was the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for both the client and design team. Initially, the target was to achieve LEED certified status. But, following the implementation and management by OCC Construction, a LEED Silver Award was issued by the Irish Green Building Council.
Starting in 2013, Peter O’Connell, Shane McWalter and their team has grown OCC Construction to employ 50 people, increasing the scale and complexity of the projects across the commercial, medical, residential and hospitality sectors. “Innovation, Lean Construction and leadership in energy and design have been central to our success along with the hard work, dedication and expertise of our top-class team. Since we completed Block R, we’ve been maximising the principles of Lean Construction on all of our projects.”
OCC Construction is a progressive organisation within the Irish construction industry with the guiding principles of trust, innovation and delivery of excellence. The company specialises in the rapid build delivery of large-scale commercial, residential, educational and pharmaceutical buildings, executing technically advanced building projects and embracing innovative technologies to pioneer the future of construction.
Currently, OCC Construction is engaged in Commercial projects for PENN Engineering Galway, a landmark head office for GRCC in Galway City, multiple residential projects in Ballybrit, Moycullen, Ennis, Athlone and Kinnegad as well as The Modern Methods of Construction Campus for LOETB in Mount Lucas, Offaly.
OCC Construction
Gray Office Park,
Galway Retail Park,
Headford Road,
Galway,
H91 FRW3.
Telephone: 091 511445
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.occo.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, January, Vol 11 No 1
